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09/02/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1. Giant German Banks Accused in Los Angeles Lawsuit 2. Independence Celebrations in Mountainous Karabagh Republic 3. Lebanon ARF Supports Extending Lahoud Term 4. Cyprus FM Calls on Turkey to Recognize Cyprus 5. Saakashvili Determined to Integrate S. Ossetia 1. Giant German Banks Accused in Los Angeles Lawsuit LOS ANGELESA class action lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in a Los Angeles Federal Court against two German Banks, giant Deutsche Bank and Allianz acquired Dresdner Bank. Armenian Genocide survivors and their heirs, the Plaintiffs, charge both banks, the Defendants, of several acts of wrongdoing and demand recovery of assets. Dresdner Bank was acquired by Allianz in 2001. Deutsche Bank was Adolf Hitler's lead banker. Documents released by bank historian Manfred Pohl, who made them public in February 1999, revealed for the first time how Deutsche Bank financed much of the construction of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The documents provide evidence of the secret SS-controlled accounts used to transfer funds stolen from Jews who had been deported or sent to death camps during World War II. The Armenian Genocide occurred during World War I, in 1915when reigning Turks of the Ottoman Empire mass-murdered over 2.1 million Armenians in present day Turkey. Five families filed as Lead Plaintiffs, and since the case is a class action lawsuit, it was filed on behalf of Armenians who: 1) made deposits with the Banks, 2) who were killed in the Armenian Genocide and 3) whose heirs were not repaid deposits on their accounts. In addition to the demand of asset recovery, Plaintiffs are seeking compensation for unpaid wages and other damages stemming from the use of Plaintiffs' ancestors and other Armenians as slave and forced laborers during the time of the Genocide. Plaintiffs have information supporting wrongdoings by Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank of engaging in the following acts during the Armenian Genocide and World War I: a. Knowingly trading with Young Turks in goods made by slave labor b. Acting as the secret banks of Young Turks, aiding and abating in looting, and functioning as conduit for looted assets - laundering for profit from goods from Armenians c. Directly owning/controlling the Berlin-Baghdad Railway that used slave labor d. Taking 100,000 Armenians by rail to the death camps and charging them for this trip to death Attorney for the Plaintiffs, Vartkes Yeghiayan of Los Angeles says, "Europeans nick named the Ottomans and reigning Turks as the "Sick Man of Europe" during World War I. Turks lacked governmental organization; therefore, Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank stepped in to help them organize, aid and abate in lootingprofiting from the innocent. They haven't cleared their names in history by settling with Jewish Holocaust survivors. The Armenian Diaspora will not waiver either." In June 2004, Armenian survivors and heirs settled with US giant insurer, New York Life Insurance Company for $20 million dollars, recovering funds for unpaid life insurance policies. Demirjian, et al. v. Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank, (Case No. CV04-7248), a class action law suit in Federal Court was filed on August 31, 2004, seeking payment for recovery of account deposits, as well as punitive damages for unpaid wages and other reparations. The attorney representing Plaintiffs is Los Angeles attorney: Vartkes Yeghiayan of Yeghiayan and Associates. In June 2004, Yeghiayan recovered unpaid life insurance benefits for over 2,000 Armenian policyholders and their heirs in settling Marootian et al. v. New York Life Insurance Company. He is an expert in Armenian asset recovery and Genocide losses. 2. Independence Celebrations in Mountainous Karabagh Republic STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources)The Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR), on Thursday, celebrated the 13th anniversary of its independence with a series of festive events in the capital of Stepanakert and around the regions of the republic. Celebrations began in the morning with MKR Defense Army servicemen marching along the streets of Stepanakert. At noon, MKR President Arkady Ghukasian, Armenia's defense minister Serge Sargsian, MKR National Assembly president Oleg Yessayan, and other government and public officials, joined guests from Armenia and Russia, to honor Arthur Mkrtchianthe president of MKR's first National Assembly who was murdered in April 1992, only three months after assuming his post. The dignitaries placed flowers at the former president's grave and observed a moment of silence. In his address, Serge Sargsian said, "The time will come when the longing of generationswho began struggling for these noble ideals long before weready to risk their lives for their nations." Sargsian added that the time will soon arrive to celebrate MKR's unification with Armenia. In its congratulatory message to the MKR, the Supreme Body of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation pf Armenia stated that declaring independence in one of the occupied territories of our homeland was not only the right historical decision, but, as the past 13 years have proven, has made it possible to organize for self-defense, and advance economically and politically. "MKR today is a stably developing sovereign state and attracts the unfading attention of the political world. We are confident that development of state institutions and democratic values will finally make the international community comprehend the right of our MKR compatriots to live independently in the homeland of their forefathers." MKR declared independence from Azerbaijan on September 2, 1991. The declaration of independence was confirmed by a nationwide referendum on December 10, 1991. 3. Lebanon ARF Supports Extending Lahoud Term BEIRUT (Aztag Daily)The Central Committee of ARF Lebanon extended support for the decision of the country's council of ministers to extend President Emile Lahoud's term for an additional three years, and stressed that the council's decision was made in light of local and regional realities and based on overcoming challenges and decisions, while expressing the will of the people of Lebanon. The ARF CC also emphasized the importance of preserving national principles, to which President Lahoud adheresespecially during these times when local, regional, and international developments and forces require that the people of Lebanon remain unified and prudent. 4. Cyprus FM Calls on Turkey to Recognize Cyprus (EUBusiness.com)Turkey would find it very difficult to secure European Union (EU) accession without having any formal ties with fellow member Cyprus, Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou warned on Wednesday. "Everyone in Europe says it would be extremely difficult for Turkey to proceed with its [EU] application without having any ties whatsoever [with Nicosia] and also maintain a hostile stance against Cyprus," said Iacovou. He was responding to comments made by his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, who said Tuesday Ankara is considering steps to include Cyprus in a customs union between Turkey and the European Union, but that such a move would not amount to a recognition of the Greek Cypriot government. "There is work under way on this issue, but this would never mean a political recognition," Gul told the NTV news channel. Iacovou argued there were not just legal obligations but sound practical reasons for Turkey to create diplomatic ties with the Cypriot government. "How can we take a position on issues raised when we don't have an embassy in Ankara to be informed first hand as every other country does," queried the minister after meeting Dutch European Affairs Minister Atzo Nicolai here. "An EU-member country can't be denied the same possibilities afforded the rest," he added. Iacovou said the Dutch EU presidency was "concerned" about Turkey's approach towards Cyprus, such as not accepting Cyprus-flagged ships at its ports, opening of air corridors and the customs union. Turkey entered into a customs union with the pan-European bloc in 1995. The divided island of Cyprus, represented by its internationally recognized Greek Cypriot side, joined the EU on May 1. So far, however, it has been excluded from participation in the overall EU customs union with Turkey because it has no formal diplomatic ties with Ankara. Brussels has put pressure on Ankara to resolve the issue. A last-ditch effort to reunify Cyprus' Greek and Turkish communities before EU accession failed in April when Greek Cypriots rejected a UN peace plan that Turkish Cypriots endorsed. Cyprus has been split since 1974 when Turkey occupied the north in response to a Greek Cypriot coup in Nicosia aimed at uniting the island with Greece. EU officials have said the customs union problem will not have a bearing on Turkey's prospects of opening membership talks. The Greek Cypriots, however, will have a say in the decision, to be taken in December, in their capacity as a member of the 25-nation bloc. 5. Saakashvili Determined to Integrate S. Ossetia TBILISI (Civil Georgia/Reuters)At a news briefing in the southern Georgian resort town of Likani, President Mikhail Saakashvili assured that Georgia will continue its "peaceful efforts to reintegrate South Ossetia and will not allow the conflict to be frozen." "No shots are fired in the conflict zone and the Georgian villages there are very well protected. This once again proves that our decision to pull back troops was right," Saakashvili said. The Georgian side pulled out non-peacekeeping troops from the South Ossetian conflict zone on August 20 and replaced its 500 internal troops, which were the part of the joint Russian-Georgian-Ossetian peacekeeping forces, with the elite troops of the Defense Ministry. South Ossetia's separatist leadership dismissed the Georgian pullback as a "theatrical gesture by the government and the Georgian president which are trying to maintain a democratic face." Georgia Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said on August 31 that he is ready to hold talks with separatist leader Eduard Kokoev, but added, "this kind of meeting should be accurately prepared." "Only the status of the region will be put on the agenda of the talks," Zhvania stated. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.